1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved cassette tape ejecting apparatus, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus using a magnetic tape as a recording medium, for example, a video cassette tape recorder (VCR) or a digital versatile camcorder (DVC) includes a deck for recording and/or reproducing information by accepting the tape in the cassette tape, running the tape, and ejecting the tape, a photographing portion, and a signal processing portion.
Referring to FIG. 1, the deck of the conventional magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus includes a main chassis 10, a sub chassis 20 slidably installed on the main chassis 10, and a cassette housing 30 movably installed on the sub chassis 20, a cassette tape C being mounted thereon.
A head drum 11, a loading motor 12, a capstan motor 13 and a plurality of guide rollers 14 and guide poles 15 composing a tape running system are disposed on the main chassis 10. A pair of reel tables 21 and 22 for driving tape reels (not shown) of the cassette tape C are disposed on the sub chassis 20.
The cassette housing 30 can be transferred to a tape insertion position and a tape ejection position. The deck of the magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus includes a cassette tape ejecting apparatus 40 (refer to FIGS. 2A and 2B) for locking the cassette housing 30 on the sub chassis 20 in the tape insertion position, and unlocking the cassette housing 30 and transferring the cassette housing 30 to the tape ejection position to eject the cassette tape C.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the cassette tape ejecting apparatus 40 includes a locking lever 41 installed on the cassette housing 30, an eject lever 43 installed on the sub chassis 20, and a cassette switch 45.
The locking lever 41 has a locking protrusion 41a and an unlocking protrusion 41b. When the cassette housing 30 is transferred to the tape insertion position, the locking protrusion 41a is hooked on a locking groove 20a formed on the sub chassis 20.
The eject lever 43 is installed on the sub chassis 20 to be rotated by a pin 42 in the forward/backward direction at a predetermined angle. The eject lever 43 includes an operation portion 43a contacting the unlocking protrusion 41b of the locking lever 41, a pressing portion 43b and an elastic portion 43c. A washer 44 for preventing separation of the eject lever 43 is coupled onto the pin 42.
The cassette switch 45 is installed at one side of the sub chassis 20 to be turned on/off by the forward/backward rotation of the eject lever 43.
In the cassette tape ejecting apparatus 40, when the cassette housing 30 on which the cassette tape C has been mounted is transferred to the tape insertion position, the locking protrusion 41a of the locking lever 41 of the cassette housing 30 is hooked on the locking groove 20a of the sub chassis 20, thereby locking the cassette housing 30. Here, the pressing portion 43b of the eject lever 43 presses a contact point of the cassette switch 45, to switch the cassette switch 45 to the “On” position.
On the other hand, when the user presses an eject button (not shown) to eject the cassette tape C, the eject lever 43 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction seen from the drawing (arrow direction of FIG. 2a) to push the unlocking protrusion 41b of the locking lever 41, thereby unlocking the locking protrusion 41a. Accordingly, the cassette housing 30 is unlocked and transferred to the tape ejection position. Here, the cassette switch 45 is separated from the pressing portion 43b of the eject lever 43, and thus is switched to the “Off” position.
However, the general cassette tape ejecting apparatus of the magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus requires subsidiary materials such as the pin 42 for coupling the eject lever 43 to the chassis 20, and the washer 44 for preventing separation of the eject lever 43, which inevitably increases the number of assembly components and the number of assembly process steps resulting in lower productivity and higher costs.